Christina Fornaciari
(she/her)
I am a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, student, community member, and friend. I am a yoga teacher, teacher trainer, and sincere practitioner nurturing depth, richness, and multiplicity within the wellspring of modern yoga. I am co-owner and co-director of Laughing River Yoga in Burlington, Vermont.
I cherish yoga as a way of moving through the world with more authenticity, connection, and skillfulness. I believe yoga is a path for healing both the individual and the collective. When we take on our own self-discovery, it ripples out to benefit all beings everywhere.
My Path
The practice of yoga has been a homecoming. After several physical injuries and traumas at a young age, I spent my young adult years completely disconnected from my own body. I was full of angst, distrust, and confusion. I felt deeply misunderstood by others, but in truth I did not know myself, my capacities, or my purpose. I was first introduced to yoga by my mom in my teenage years, and in 2012 yoga finally 'stuck' and has illuminated my path ever since.
Through yoga, I've built trust and relationship with my body, softened and emboldened my heart, and found my path of service to others.
Even though I hold the role of a teacher, I am committed to continuous learning and studentship as a way of honoring the depths of the yoga tradition and living my yoga in all arenas of life with integrity. My personal practice and teaching has been shaped by the many remarkable teachers and influences in my life.
I am deeply grateful for the thousands of years of teachers, students, and traditions that have matriculated from East to West and prop up my life's work today.
My group yoga classes are predominantly Vinyasa-style rooted in the Hatha Yoga tradition weaving together flowing physical postures, breath awareness and refinement, mental concentration, and contemplation of yogic teachings and wisdom. My background in Jivamukti Yoga integrates yoga as a spiritual practice with the elevated intention of benefitting all beings. My classes blend discipline with spaciousness, where students are empowered to listen to and respond to their needs in the present moment - coming from a place of attentive compassion rather than expectation, habit, or judgement.
In 2023 I became Co-Owner and Co-Director of Laughing River Yoga in Burlington, VT along with my friend and teacher Emily Garrett. It is a blessing to steward a community so precious.
I do not take my leadership in the studio, yoga industry, or community lightly, and strive to use my proximity to power to uplift, support, and empower others on their path. As a white yoga teacher, I acknowledge yoga's breadth and depth beyond asana. As a white yoga teacher, I honor yoga's ancient Indian roots and commit to minimize cultural appropriation by continuously studying yogic history, yogic philosophy, and Sanskrit; while celebrating, uplifting, and learning from Indian teachers and folks of color. As a white yoga teacher, I understand that with my identity and lived experiences, I bring blind spots, privilege, and colonialism with me that cannot be undone. As an ally to people and groups on the margins, I use yogic principles to both dismantle oppression within my own mind and take aligned action in yoga spaces and the community. I fully believe that when we choose our own healing, we cause less harm in the world and benefit all beings.
Credentials & Experience
Co-Owner and Co-Director at Laughing River Yoga
Teacher Training Director at Laughing River Yoga (200hr and 300hr Programming)
E-RYT 500
Certified 300hr Jivamukti Yoga Teacher
"Christina has an admirable passion for deep learning and teaching of yoga. Her teaching style makes you feel seen and appreciated."
"I came to Christina as a student with a well established practice, and was so taken with the warmth, care, and deep respect she brings to yoga teaching. Christina offers an inclusive and challenging approach, defined by a certain “wholeness” I’ve not felt from another instructor. She is one of those teachers you seek out over and over due to her nuanced, well-earned skill set."
"Christina’s classes make me feel light and airy, while also rooted in my strength. There’s a spaciousness her teaching and presence allows that creates a community and connected feeling - to my body, to my spirit, and to others."